


Let Your Heart Be Light

by seekrest



Series: IronDad Bingo [19]
Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: (for now) - Freeform, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, College Student Peter Parker, F/M, Fluff without Plot, Found Family, Gen, Jewish Peter Parker, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Nap™️, Peter just being loved and having a good night, Protective Peter Parker, canon nudged to the left
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:33:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28316820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seekrest/pseuds/seekrest
Summary: “It’s not that simple,” Peter says, MJ shaking her head in amusement as Ned leans towards him over his chair from their tiny kitchenette.“It’s that simple, Pete. Look, Fisk is in jail, Goblin’s MIA and the chances of someone planning a city-wide takeover the day before Christmas is like, slim to none.”“But never zero,” Peter mutters, rubbing a hand over his face as Ned laughs.—IronDad Bingo: Gala
Relationships: Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: IronDad Bingo [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1652680
Comments: 30
Kudos: 91
Collections: Irondad and Spiderson Secret Santa 2020





	Let Your Heart Be Light

**Author's Note:**

  * For [paperowl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperowl/gifts).



> Merry Christmas paperowl! 
> 
> You asked for anxiety and this is my 2020 tribute. 
> 
> Sometimes we all could use a break :)

“You okay, man?”

Peter sighs in exasperation, hearing MJ’s snicker from the other side of the room as he plops down on the couch face first.

“No. I’m not okay. I’m the opposite of okay,” Peter says, voice muffled from the couch cushions. Ned hums in acknowledgement while MJ just laughs, Peter lifting his head up to see her grin.

“I think you’re being a little dramatic.”

“I’m being the perfect amount of dramatic, MJ. I’m serious, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Peter says with a huff, placing his cheek on the plushy cushions of their couch. He can’t remember the last time he’s cleaned the couch, wrinkling his nose and sitting up from the couch as MJ laughs. 

“Enjoy a holiday party filled with an obscene amount of Avengers while Ned and I eat our weight in cookies and get drunk off expensive champagne?”

“Hell yeah,” Ned says, lifting up his coffee cup in a cheering motion that MJ mirrors with her own mug full of tea - pantomiming clinking it from across the room as Peter groans, moving himself into a sitting position and leaning his head back.

“It’s not that simple,” Peter says, MJ shaking her head in amusement as Ned leans towards him over his chair from in their tiny kitchenette. 

“It’s that simple, Pete. Look, Fisk is in jail, Goblin’s MIA and the chances of someone planning a city-wide takeover the day before Christmas is like, slim to none.”

“But never zero,” Peter mutters, rubbing a hand over his face as Ned laughs.

“No, never zero. Not with  _ your _ luck anyway,” MJ quips, Peter bringing a hand down and glancing back over to her just to see the smirk on her face. “But maybe  _ stop _ stressing about something before it’s even happened?”

She looks back to her laptop, biting back a laugh as she says, “I swear, sometimes I think that spider bite didn’t just give you super senses but overactive anxiety.”

“You’re telling me,” Peter says forlornly, only for Ned and MJ to goodnaturedly laugh. The sound of it on either side of him helps release some of the tension in his chest, especially since deep in his gut Peter knew they were right.

Ned affirms this by saying, “Trust us, Pete. It’s okay to just relax. Enjoy some time off.” Ned sighs, turning his attention back to his own laptop as he says, “for  _ us _ at least. I can’t believe you’re done with finals already.”

“Don’t remind me,” MJ groans, Peter snickering to himself as glances between his best friend and girlfriend. 

It was a miracle in and of itself that Peter not only had submitted all his assignments - on time, no less - but was finished with any other final exams. It was a fluke of scheduling, something Peter wasn’t going to complain about considering  _ last _ year it’d taken every ounce of self-respect and groveling to retake the ochem final that he’d missed because of a fight in a sewer with a mutant lizard. 

As the tapping of keyboards fills the room, MJ redirecting the conversation to what they were going to order for dinner, Peter sits himself a little more comfortably on the couch - looking up at the ceiling and considering his friends’ words. 

Despite the truth of MJ’s statement, Peter couldn’t rightfully say that his spider senses were going off. They’d been quiet, almost  _ too _ quiet - to the point where Peter’s anxiety was flaring up in anticipation for something to go all horribly wrong. 

It made sense - there was rarely a significant moment in Peter’s life that hadn’t been disrupted because of some bullshit out in the city or of his own making. C-grade villains making a mess of his finals schedules, pipes bursting on the first night of Hanukkah, or the city-wide blackout that made Black Friday take on an entirely different meaning last year -- Peter was more used to the chaos of everything blowing up on his face rather than the situation he was finding himself in now. 

His finals were done. May was off for the holiday and going with him to the Avengers holiday party, Peter ready to tease her and Sam relentlessly for the not so subtle flirting that had sat between them for the past few months. Tony was freaking out about the holiday party but that was to be expected, the same kind of fervor that he used to channel towards making suits and weapons towards perfecting the perfect meringue for the pie he and Morgan had worked together to make. 

Nothing was wrong, not even the weather - the forecast for the day before Christmas showing nothing but a light snow and chilly but manageable temperatures even for his mutated spider-DNA.

“Are you still brooding or do you give a preference on whether you want pepperoni or sausage on your pizza?” MJ asks, throwing Peter out of his thoughts.

“Pepperoni, obviously,” Peter says with a laugh, feeling the tension in his shoulders release and the tightness in his chest start to dissipate as he smiles at her - thinking that even if things historically hadn’t turned out so well for him during the holidays that at least now, everything was okay.

* * *

“Kid, you’re here. Good, maybe you can settle a little debate.”

“There’s no debate, Tones,” Rhodey says with the slightest hint of exasperation, Peter laughing as he and May walk in from the elevator. 

“Whatever it is, I agree with Rhodey,” Peter replies with a grin, Tony scoffing as Rhodey and May just laugh as they walk in - Peter passing off May’s famous baked mac and cheese to Tony.

“That’s it, you’re out of my will. Get out of my tower,” Tony grumbles in jest, Peter smirking at him before saying, “I never was in your will to begin with.”

“Well I won’t add you in it now. This tower and all its toys? Forget about it,” Tony says dismissively, only for Pepper to walk towards them. 

“As I recall, this is only twelve percent of your tower,” Pepper says with a smirk, something passing between the two of them as Peter glances at May in confusion. 

May seems just as lost as he does, Rhodey rolling his eyes as he says, “Ignore them. Good to see you, Pete. How’s junior year?”

Tony sighs dramatically before turning towards the kitchens as Pepper and May greet each other, Peter following Rhodey towards where the rest of the party would be as he says, “Good, you know how it goes. Dr. Octavius keeps saying that I should apply for grad school but I haven’t decided yet.”

Rhodey nods, a smile on his face before Tony calls out from the kitchen, “BETTER BE THINKING OF MIT THIS TIME AROUND.”

Peter laughs as Rhodey just shakes his head, nodding towards the sound of partygoers as he says, “Ignore the old man. You ready to go in?”

“Definitely,” Peter says with a grin, Pepper and May’s gossip fading behind him as he walks with Rhodey to the party. 

The party itself is low key, the open foyer perfectly decorated as they begin to mingle with the array of party guests. Most of them are Avengers, ex-Avengers and even a few mutants - Peter making a mental note to go say hi to Professor Xavier before the night’s end only to laugh when he realizes that by doing so, Professor Xavier himself may end up seeking him out. 

For now, Peter’s focus is more attuned to two familiar faces on the other side of the party - holding champagne flutes in hand just like they said as they would as he smiles.

“Hey loser, wondering when you’d be showing up,” MJ says affectionately, a little tipsy from the lilt in her voice. Peter laughs before kissing her, Ned just sighing dreamily at them before saying, “Ah love. Maybe I should text Anthony again.”

“Maybe not,” Peter and MJ both say in tandem, only for the three of them to laugh as Sam Wilson walks up. 

“What are you three scheming about this time?” He asks with a smile, Peter grinning at him before replying, “Oh you know, our love lives. Which speaking of...” Peter trails off, nodding over to where May was standing.

Sam gives Peter a look, tilting his drink towards him before saying, “you’re a little shit, you know that?”

Peter just grins, something that only gets bigger when Sam squints at him before sneaking a glance to where May is.

“Go talk to her already,” Peter says more casually than he feels, Sam looking back at him with a neutral expression on his face as Peter continues, “I mean it.”

Sam studies him for a second before he smirks, nodding once before turning towards where May is. 

“You’re taking this a lot better than I thought you would,” MJ says off-hand, Peter looking back to her as Ned shrugs.

“She could do worse than Captain America,” he says, Peter smiling as he meets MJ’s gaze. 

“He’s right,” Peter says, even if the thought of his aunt dating wasn’t something he particularly wanted to dwell on more than he ever had to. He missed Ben almost every day, just as he knew May did -- but he couldn’t deny how happy she’d been since she and Sam had started spending time together. 

He arguably  _ should _ feel more awkward about it, if only because any time Tony had joked about how attractive May was back when he was in high school, Peter was annoyed. But there was something different with Sam, just as there was something different in the way May spoke of Sam-- a whisper that maybe things between them would work out for the best. 

The holidays were always a weird time when it came to family and to love but with an arm wrapped around his girlfriend, his best friend chattering next to him and seeing May’s smile as Sam walked up made Peter feel a warmth in his chest that he desperately wanted to hold on to.

* * *

“I was wondering where you ran off to.”

Peter smiles as he looks over his shoulder and sees Tony fold his arms together, Peter turning back out to the city -- leaning over the balcony as he watches the snow fall.

He hears Tony come up beside him, seeing him mirror his own posture as Tony leans against the balcony too. Peter looks over and watches with a smirk as Tony sighs, closing his eyes before saying, “Nice and quiet out here.”

“Quiet for you maybe,” Peter says, watching as Tony opens his eyes and smirks at him. Peter motions to his ear, drink getting in the way as he says, “Can’t really turn this off.”

“Need your headphones?” Tony asks, Peter making a face and waving him off.

“Nah, I’m fine. Used to it by now.”

Tony hums before they fall into a comfortable silence, Peter taking a sip of his drink as he looks back out over the skyline -- the chill in the air not nearly as freezing as he thought it would be.

The whole night hadn’t gone how he thought it would-- or rather, it had gone  _ perfectly _ according to plan. Something that Peter wasn’t sure he was equipped to deal with.

May and Sam had predictably hit it off as they always did, schmoozing with Steve last time he checked -- the latter of whom taking a particular interest in the volunteer work May did at FEAST.

MJ and Ned were off on some scheme, something he was pointedly  _ not  _ invited to but Peter didn’t mind. He liked that they were friends without having to be around him, especially in these moments where he’s too distracted to properly live in the moment. 

He’s not surprised to find that Tony had come to find him, he and May’s less than subtle conversation an hour before giving Peter every indication that he’d be cornered by one or the other before the night’s end.

Tony’s presence beside him, Peter thinks with a smirk, must mean he pulled the short straw.

“So you gonna tell me what’s going on with you or you gonna make me guess?” Tony asks, breaking the silence and proving Peter’s theory as his smirk turns into a grin. 

He looks back to Tony who looks mildly amused, as if he knew what Peter was thinking. 

Peter laughs, shrugging before swirling the liquid in his beer bottle around -- the cheap kind Tony ever seems to have in stock for him and his friends as he says, “I don’t know. Nothing’s going on really.”

He lets the sentence hang there for a moment, feeling Tony’s stare before he sighs.

“I don’t know.”

“Do you feel like something  _ should _ be going on?” Tony ventures, Peter smirking to himself before looking up at him.

“I don’t want it to. I’m glad everyone’s seemingly got their shit together for once,” Peter says, vaguely gesturing to the city before turning towards where the party is still ongoing, “And everything here is fine. Better than fine, actually.”

Peter chews the inside of his cheek, leaning his arm against the balcony until he’s facing Tony -- Tony doing the same as he says, “Can’t help but feel like there’s something I’m missing.” 

Tony purses his lips, studying Peter for a moment before asking, “What do you think you’re missing?”

Peter rolls his eyes as he says, “Stop trying to shrink me. I’m seeing Theresa this weekend, I don’t need you to double up on me.”

Tony puts his hands up in a defensive motion, tilting his head as he says, “Just saying, kid. Sounds almost as if you want there to be a problem.”

Peter laughs before sobering up, glancing up to Tony who smiles knowingly at him.

“It’s weird, being happy.”

Tony nods as if he understands, the thought occurring to Peter that he truly did as he replies, “It is, but you know, you never do get used to it.” He stands, leaning his back against the balcony as he looks out over to the open doors where the party is, “Sometimes I still think this is all a dream. Like it’s all just a highlight reel of my greatest hits or something before I die.”

“Are you saying I’m a figment of your imagination? Jameson’s right, you really  _ do _ think you’re the center of the universe,” Peter says with a laugh, Tony scoffing before he rolls his eyes.

“Last I checked, Jameson’s on your ass more than he ever is on mine. I’m past my prime, Pete. Retired. Put out to pasture.”

Peter laughs, feeling the anxiety in his chest loosen as every second passes when Tony says, “It’s okay to be happy, Pete.”

“I know,” Peter says, a conviction that Theresa had spent many sessions working with him on accepting, “It’s still weird to accept that it’s real though, you know?”

Tony’s quiet for a beat, Peter going to change the direction of the conversation only for Tony to say, “You are though right?”

“Hmm?”

“Happy?” Tony asks, Peter blinking a few times as he absorbs the question. 

He glances back out over to the party, seeing MJ and Ned through the windows as they laugh -- their clear joy in whatever joke they shared bringing a smile to Peter’s face.

He knows May is in there somewhere having a good time, knowing if he closed his eyes and focused that he could hear more of the conversations-- laughter and a contentment that felt hard earned.

There was always some trouble out on the horizon, some issue or problem that Peter knows no happy holiday would ever be able to completely shake away. 

But it’s not something he has to worry about now, finally allowing himself the chance to relax as he slowly exhales. 

“Yeah,” Peter says with a smile, looking back to see the same smile mirrored on Tony’s face.

“I am.” 


End file.
